Device to be used when applying a cosmetic

ABSTRACT

A device to be used when applying a cosmetic. The device has a base and a removable hollow tubular cover carried thereby. The base and the cover coact to compel the cover to move longitudinally onto and off from the base. A support in the hollow interior of the cover supports therein a body of cosmetic material having an exposed surface which extends generally longitudinally of the cover. A cosmetic applicator is carried by the base and extends into the cover in engagement with the body of cosmetic material when the cover is in its closed position on the base. As a result the movement of the cover onto and off from the base result in frictional rubbing of the cosmetic applicator with respect to the body of cosmetic material, so that whenever the cover is removed there will automatically be on the applicator an amount of cosmetic suitable for application.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Maurice Andrews 2400 Johnson Ave., Riverdale, N.Y. 10463 [21] Appl. No. 45,093 [22] Filed June 9, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [54] DEVICE TO BE USED WHEN APPLYING A COSMETIC 12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. CI 132/79 C [51] Int. Cl A45d 40/00 [50] Field of Search 132/79 R-79 C, 88 B, 80, 81, 90, 88.5; 401/50, 188; 15/523 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,709,990 4/1929 Lungren 132/83 R 1,710,583 4/1929 Lindon 132/79 R 3/1940 Deakers et al. 132/79 R 3,103,032 9/1963 Brenne 3,468,612 9/1969 Aston \BSTRACT: A device to be used when applying a cosmetic. The device has a base and a removable hollow tubular cover carried thereby. The base and the cover coact to compel the cover to move longitudinally onto and off from the base. A support in the hollow interior of the cover supports therein a body of ,cosmetic material having an exposed surface which extends generally longitudinally of the cover. A cosmetic applieator is carried by the base and extends into the cover in engagement with the body of cosmetic material when the cover is in its closed position on the base. As a result the movement of the cover onto and off from the base result in frictional rubbing of the cosmetic applicator with respect to the body of cosmetic material, so that whenever the cover isremoved there will automatically be on the applicator an amount of cosmetic suitable for application.

PATENTEnum 19 l97l sum 1 UF 2 PATENTEDUET 19 ml SHEET 2 BF 2 INVI'JNIHIL MAURICE ANDREWS z A 'rmm'l', YE

DEVICE TO BE USED WHEN APPLYING A COSMETIC BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION example, brushes which receive a suitable amount of cosmetic to be applied to a desired area. Thus, eye shadow, cosmetic base materials, cosmetic shadings, and the like are examples of cosmetic materials to be applied after an amount thereof has been placed on a suitable applicator such as a brush.

At the present time, with conventional devices of the above type it is required that the user of the device displace the applicator with respect to the body of cosmetic material so as to pick up from the latter an amount adequate for application to the skin. This requires, for example, frictional rubbing of a brush with respect to the exposed surface of a body of cosmetic. Certain known devices of this type are in the form of compact cases which carry in their interior not only a cake of cosmetic but also a suitable applicator in the form of a brush, and devices of this general type are relatively complex and expensive. Inconveniences are involved in manipulating the brushes or other applicators in order to place thereon the cosmetic which is to be transferred to the skin. These operations not only are time consuming but in addition several elements must be properly situated with respect to each other and the cosmetic material becomes undesirably spread about to areas not intended to receive the cosmetic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a device which will avoid the above drawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a device which does not require the operator to make any special effort to pick up onto an applicator a certain quantity of cosmetic which is to be applied to the skin.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a device composed of a relatively small number of simply constructed components which can be very easily manipulated in a most convenient manner without any danger of undesired spreading of the cosmetic to unwanted areas and without requiring care in assembly and disassembly of several components.

It is especially an object of the invention to provide a device which will respond to a simple opening of the device for the assurance of a sufficient amount of cosmetic material on a suitable applicator, the device simply requiring to be closed after the applicator has been used.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an exceedingly compact device of relatively small size which can accomplish all of the above objects.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this type which lends itself to use of a plurality of different cosmetics in the same device.

With the device of the invention, a base means coacts with an elongated hollow cover means to compel the latter to move longitudinally when displaced to a closed position on the base means and when removed from the latter to an open position. A support means within the hollow cover means carries therein a body of cosmetic material having an exposed surface which extends also longitudinally of the hollow cover. The cosmetic applying means which is carried by the base means is compelled to rub against the exposed surface of the body of cosmetic material during longitudinal movement of the cover means with respect to the base means, so that the simple removal of the cover means will result in situating on the cosmetic-applying means an amount of material for application to the skin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective illustration of one possible embodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows, and showing at an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 1 the details of the device of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of another embodiment of a device according to the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows and showing the structure at a scale which is enlarged as compared to FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, the device 10 of the present invention which is illustrated therein includes a base means 12 and a cover means 14. The base means 12 is in the form of a simple block of suitable plastic, while the cover means 14 is in the form of an elongated tubular enclosure having, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, a lower open end which is received by the base means 12. As is apparent from FIG. 2, in the illustrated example the base means 12 is formed with a shoulder which engages the bottom end of the elongated tubular cover means 14 to limit the movement thereof onto the base means 12.

The elongated hollow tubular cover means 14 carries in its interior a support means 16 also in the form of a block of plastic material, which may be the same material as that used for the base means 12. Any solid plastic material which in relatively small sections has a certain degree of elasticity or resiliency is suitable for the base means 12 and support means 16. For example, suitable compositions of polyvinylchloride, polystyrene and polyethylene, and the like can be used for the components 12 and 16. The support means 16 has an exterior configuration conforming to the interior surface configuration of the cover means 14 which is engaged by the support means 16 and any suitable adhesive, for example, may serve to adhere and fix the support means 16 to the interior of the tubular cover means 14 in the position of the parts illustrated in FIG. 2.

The support means 16 serves to support in the interior of the elongated tubular cover means 14 a body 18 of cosmetic material. This body 18 may be in the form of a cake of cosmetic carried in a suitable pan 20 which by a suitable adhesive may be adhered to the body or support means 16. It is to be noted that this support means 16 has in the region of its lower end, as viewed in FIG. 2, a shoulder 22 engaging the pan 20 so that the latter is not longitudinally movable with respect to the support means 16. The cake 18 of cosmetic material may be any suitable compacted powder, for example, or any other suitable cosmetic material such as one which may be used for eye shadow, for example. The exposed surface 24 of the body 18 is directed toward the inner surface 26 of the tube which forms the cover means 14.

Situated within the cover means 14, when it is in its closed position shown in the drawings, is a cosmetic-applying means 28 in the form of an elongated stem 30 projecting from and integral with the base means 12. This stem 30 has glued thereon, for example, a tubular metal ferrule 32 which carries a soft pad 34, made, for example of a doubled-over section of foam rubber, so that in this way the applying means 28 has a construction suitable for the application of a cosmetic. The stem 30 has a constricted section 32 in the region of the base means 12. As was indicated above, the plastic material used for the base means 12 as well as the stem 30 of the cosmetic-applying means 28 has, in small sections at least, an inherent resiliency, so that while the stem 30 is shown in FIG. 1 deflected toward the right, when the cover 14 is removed this stem 30 will tend to assume an upright position where its axis coincides with the axis of the body 12.

In the particular example illustrated the elongated base means 12 has integrally formed therewith a second cosmeticapplying means 40 identical with the cosmetic-applying means 28 and extending in the opposite direction from the opposite end of the base means 12. Both of these cosmetic-applying means 28 and 40 are molded in one piece with the base means 12. Also, the base means 12 carries at its end distant from the cover means 14 a second cover means 42 identical with the cover means 14. This cover means 42 carries in its interior a support means 46 identical with the support means 16. This support means 46 also carries a pan 48 for a body of cosmetic material 50. However, the material 50 may be a cosmetic of a color different from that of the cosmetic material 18.

As is apparent from FIG. 3, the body l2and the open end of the cover means 42 received thereon are, in cross section, of a substantially elliptical configuration. Of course, the open end of the tubular cover means 14 and the part of the base means 12 which carries the same are of the same cross section as that illustrated in FIG. 3. As a result either one of the cover means can be placed on the base means only in a limited number of angular positions. In the illustrated example each cover means can be placed on the base means 12 only in one of a pair of angular positions displaced by 180 with respect to each other.

It is to be noted that each of the tubular cover means 14 and 42 taper from their open ends of elliptical configuration toward closed ends of rectangular configuration. These ends 52 and 54 may be covered with a coating of a color corresponding to that of the cosmetic material within the cover, so that the user knows the color of the cosmetic which will be applied. Of course, if desired, the wall of the tubular cover means 14 and 42 may be made of a transparent plastic so that the color is visible.

The operation of the device will now be described in connection with the structure carried by the base means 12 at the upper part thereof, as viewed in FIG. 2, but it is to be understood that the structure carried by the base means 12 at the lower part thereof, as viewed in FIG. 2, operates in an identical manner. The stem 30 because of its inherent resiliency tends to assume a position where its axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the base means 12. However, when the cover means 14 is placed in a closed position on the base means 12, this base means coacts with the cover means 14 to compel the latter to be moved longitudinally onto the base means 12 and the support means 16 locates the body of material 18 at a situation where the stem 30 is necessarily deflected away from the axis of the base means 12 so that this opposition to the inherent resiliency of the stem 30 will provide a desired degree of pressure between the pad 34 and the exposed surface 24. The result is that when the cover 14 is applied to the base 12 the pad 34 will necessarily rub along the exterior surface 24 of the cake l8, and a rubbing in the opposite direction will necessarily take place when the cover 14 is removed. Therefore, the simple removal of the cover 14 exposes the cosmetic applying means 28 in a condition where the part 34 thereof already carries an amount of cosmetic suitable for application. Of course, the cover 14 can be mounted on the base 12 in a position displaced by l80 from that shown in FIG. 2, so that the stem 30 will in this case be deflected in the opposite direction and in this way the entire exposed surface of the pad 34 can be used. Because of the low cost of the cover 14 together with the support means 16 and the body of cosmetic therein, when this cosmetic is consumed the entire cover unit can be thrown away and replaced by a fresh unit with a fresh body of cosmetic therein.

Naturally, the above considerations apply equally to the structure extending downwardly from the base means 12, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. The constricted portion of the stern of the cosmetic-applying means renders the stem easier to deflect in opposition to the resilient forces. By controlling the extent of the constriction it is possible to control the frictional pressure between the body of cosmetic material and the cosmetic-applying means.

The entire assembly is exceedingly inexpensive to manufacture. The base means 12 is integrally molded with the pair of opposed stems of the pair of cosmetic-applying means. Then the metal ferrules are simply cemented onto these stems with these ferrules initially having the foam rubber pads attached thereto. The support means 16 and 46 already have the pans with the cosmetic material attached thereto when they are introduced into and adhered to the interior of the cover means. Thus, through this simple assembly of simply constructed components it is possible to achieve the structure of the invention which makes it possible to place on each pad an amount of cosmetic material suitable for application simply by removal of the cover from the base.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pair of cover means are identical with those of FIGS. l-4, so that they are designated by the same reference characters.

In this embodiment, however, the base means 60 is in the form of a single one-piece block of plastic which is formed with an axial bore 62 extending therethrough. At its opposed end regions, the base means 60 is formed with slightly reduced portions terminating in the shoulders 64'and 66 on which the pair of cover means are seated, in much the same way as in the embodiment of FIGS. L4.

The pair of cosmetic-applying means 68 and 70 are identical. They respectively include elongated members in the form of tubes 72 and 74 which may be metal or plastic. These tubes form at their ends distant from the base means 60 the ferrules which receive the pads of the cosmetic-applying means in the same way as described above in connection with FIGS. l4.

A single elongated coil spring 76 extends through and beyond the axial bore 60 of the base means 62. Beyond the opposed ends of the base means 60, the coil spring 76 extends along the interiors of and engages the interior surfaces of the tubular members 72 and 74. At their inner surfaces the tubular members 72 and 74 have a coating of a glue or a suitable epoxy 78 schematically represented in the drawings, and this glue coating serves to fix the convolutions of spring 76 which are in the interiors of the tubes 72 and 74 to the latter tubes.

With this construction when the covers are removed from the base, the spring means 76 will urge the elongated members 72 and 74 to assume positions extending coaxially from the base means 60 with the axes of the tubes 72 and 74 coinciding with the axis of the axial bore 62. However, when the covers are replaced, the locations of the exposed surfaces of the cakes l8 and 50 will deflect the pads to the positions illustrated in FIG. 5, so that this embodiment will achieve all of the advantages referred to above in connection with FIGS. l-4.

It will be noted that with the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 the tubular cover members 26 and 42 also gradually change from the rectangular cross section at the region of their outer ends to the elliptical cross section at their inner open ends where they are slidably received on the base means in either one of the pair of opposed positions angularly displaced by with respect to each other. Thus, the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 also provides a construction composed of a relatively small number of simply constructed elements which operate very reliably to achieve the desired results.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device to be used when applying a spreadable substance such as a cosmetic, elongated hollow cover means having a central axis and base means forming a pair of means coacting with each other for longitudinal movement along said axis one with respect to the other to a closed position where said cover means is removably mounted on said base means as well as for movement longitudinally one with respect to the other along said axis to an open position where said cover means is separated from said base means, said pair of means coacting with each other for longitudinal movement one with respect to the other along said axis between said positions without requiring rotary movement of said pair of means one with respect to the other, support means situated in one of said pair of means for supporting therein a body of cosmetic material with an exposed surface of the latter extending 1ongitudinally of said axis in the interior of said one means, and cosmetic-applying means carried by the other of said pair of means at a location for longitudinally rubbing against the exposed surface of the cosmetic material substantially in the direction of said axis during longitudinal movement of said pair of means one with respect to the other between said positions, whereby a simple nonrotary, longitudinal movement of said pair of means one with respect to the other will deposit cosmetic material on said cosmetic-applying means.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said base means and cover means coact with each other for assuming only a limited number of different angular positions one with respect to the other when said cover means is in its closed position on said base means.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said cosmeticapplying means coacts with said other means for resiliently tending to assume a given position with respect to said axis and said support means within said one means locating the body of cosmetic material at a position for displacing said cosmetic-applying means laterally from said axis away from the position it tends to assume, in opposition to the resilient force, for enhancing the longitudinal rubbing between said cosmetic-applying means and the exposed surface of the body of cosmetic material.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said base means is in the form of a one-piece body, said cosmetic-applying means being carried by said base means and having an elongated portion projecting from and capable of resilient lateral deflection with respect to body.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said cosmeticapplying means is in the form of an elongated member terminating at its outer end in a pad of relatively soft material for engaging the exposed surface of the cosmetic material.

6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said body and said elongated member of said cosmetic-applying means are both made of plastic and are integral with each other, with said elongated member having in the region of said body a constricted section facilitating the resilient deflection of said cosmetic-applying means.

7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said cover means is in the form of an elongated hollow tube having an open end which is received on said base means while said support means is carried by said cover means at a region thereof distant from said open end of said tube.

8. The combination of claim 7 and wherein said support means supports the body of cosmetic material within said hollow cover at a location where the exposed surface of the body of cosmetic is directed toward an inner surface of the tube, said cosmetic-applying means being situated between the latter inner surface of the tube and the body of cosmetic material engaging the latter when the cover means is in its closed position on said base means.

9. The combination of claim 1 and wherein there are a pair of said cover means and a single base means having a pair of opposed end portions coacting with the pair of cover means, a pair of said support means being respectively situated within said cover means and respectively supporting said bodies of cosmetic material therein, and a pair of said cosmetic-applying means respectively extending from opposed ends of the single base means into the pair of cover means when the latter are in their closed positions, whereby different bodies of cosmetic material may be applied with the pair of cosmeticapplying means while using a single base means.

10. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said cover means has an open end received on said base means when said cover means is in its closed position, and said open end of said cover means as well as said base means having complementary cross sections which are of substantially elliptical configuration.

11. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said body is formed with an axial bore and said cosmetic-applying means has said elongated portion thereof in the form of a tube separate and projecting from said body being laterally tiltable with respect thereto, and having a hollow interior communicating with said bore, and a spring situated in said bore and extending into and being fixed to said tube for providing the resilient force tending to urge said cosmetic-applying means to assume said given position extending from said base means.

12. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said single base means is formed with an axial bore passing therethrough, said pair of cosmetic-applying means respectively having elongated portions in the form of tubes extending from opposed ends of said single base means and communicating with said bore thereof, said tubes extending longitudinally with respect to said axis and being separate from and tiltable with respect to said base means, and a single elongated spring extending through said bore of said base means and into and being fixed to said tubes for resiliently urging the latter to assume with respect to said base means positions from which said tubes are laterally deflected by the bodies of cosmetic material when said pair of cover means are mounted on said base means. 

1. In a device to be used when applying a spreadable substance such as a cosmetic, elongated hollow cover means having a central axis and base means forming a pair of means coacting with each other for longitudinal movement along said axis one with respect to the other to a closed position where said cover means is removably mounted on said base means as well as for movement longitudinally one with respect to the other along said axis to an open position where said cover means is separated from said base means, said pair of means coacting with each other for longitudinal movement one with respect to the other along said axis between said positions without requiring rotary movement of said pair of means one with respect to the other, support means situated in one of said pair of means for supporting therein a body of cosmetic material with an exposed surface of the latter extending longitudinally of said axis in the interior of said one means, and cosmetic-applying means carried by the other of said pair of means at a location for longitudinally rubbing against the exposed surface of the cosmetic material substantially in the direction of said axis during longitudinal movement of said pair of means one with respect to the other between said positions, whereby a simple nonrotary, longitudinal movement of said pair of means one with respect to the other will deposit cosmetic material on said cosmetic-applying means.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said base means and cover means coact with each other for assuming only a limited number of different angular positions one with respect to the other when said cover means is in its closed position on said base means.
 3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said cosmetic-applying means coacts with said other means for resiliently tending to assume a given position with respect to said axis and said support means within said one means locating the body of cosmetic material at a position for displacing said cosmetic-applying means laterally from said axis away from the position it tends to assume, in opposition to the resilient force, for enhancing the longitudinal rubbing between said cosmetic-applying means and the exposed surface of the body of cosmetic material.
 4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said base means is in the form of a one-piece body, said cosmetic-applying means being carried by said base means and having an elongated portion projecting from and capable of resilient lateral deflection with respect to body.
 5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said cosmetic-applying means is in the form of an elongated member terminating at its outer end in a pad of relatively soft material for engaging the exposed surface of the cosmetic material.
 6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said body and said elongated member of said cosmetic-applying means are both made of plastic and are integral with each other, with said elongated member having in the region of said body a constricted section facilitating the resilient deflection of said cosmetic-applying means.
 7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said cover means is in the form of an elongated hollow tube having an open end which is received on said base means while said support means is carried by said cover means at a region thereof distant from said open end of said tube.
 8. The combination of claim 7 and wherein said support means supports the body of cosmetic material within said hollow cover at a location where the exposed surface of the body of cosmetic is directed toward an inner surface of the tube, said cosmetic-applying means being situated between the latter inner surface of the tube and the body of cosmetic material engaging the latter when the cover means is in its closed position on said base means.
 9. The combination of claim 1 and wherein there are a pair of said cover means and a single base means having a pair of opposed end portions coacting with the pair of cover means, a pair of said support means being respectively situated within said cover means and respectively supporting said bodies of cosmetic material therein, and a pair of said cosmetic-applying means respectively extending from opposed ends of the single base means into the pair of cover means when the latter are in their closed positions, whereby different bodies of cosmetic material may be applied with the pair of cosmetic-applying means while using a single base means.
 10. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said cover means has an open end received on said base means when said cover means is in its closed position, and said open end of said cover means as well as said base means having complementary cross sections which are of substantially elliptical configuration.
 11. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said body is formed with an axial bore and said cosmetic-applying means has said elongated portion thereof in the form of a tube separate and projecting from said body being laterally tiltable with respect thereto, and having a hollow interior communicating with said bore, and a spring situated in said bore and extending into and being fixed to said tube for providing the resilient force tending to urge said cosmetic-applying means to assume said given position extending from said base means.
 12. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said single base means is formed with an axial bore passing therethrough, said pair of cosmetic-applying means respectively having elongated portions in the form of tubes extending from opposed ends of said single base means and communicating with said bore thereof, said tubes extending longitudinally with respect to said axis and being separate from and tiltable with respect to said base means, and a single elongated spring extending through said bore of said base means and into and being fixed to said tubes for resiliently urging the latter to assume with respect to said base means positions from which said tubes are laterally deflected by the bodies of cosmetic material when said pair of cover means are mounted on said base means. 